The Israeli-Palestinian Impasse

What Actually Makes Peace Impossible

In “Why Iran Won’t Bring the Israelis and Arabs Together” (June 6, 2017), Yousef Munayyer wrote that “it is impossible for Israel to have peace with the Arab and Muslim world … as long as Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights continues.” What actually makes peace impossible is that the Palestinian leadership remains committed to destroying Israel. It pays mass murderers hundreds of millions of dollars each year and erects statues to honor terrorists. It teaches innocent children to aspire to martyrdom and instills in them a desire to wipe Israel off the map. On the many occasions when the Palestinians were offered a state, they rejected it. Why? Because destroying Israel has always been more important than building Palestine. This persistent refusal to accept a Jewish state in any boundaries is why peace has not taken hold. No one hopes this changes more than Israel.